Activities as indices of illness behaviour in chronic pain

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Abstract
Activities reported by pain sufferers over a 7 day period were categorized on the basis of social context, and sleep, passive and recreational activities were found to differentiate between groups when dimensions of illness behavior, mood and pain intensity were taken into account. The most interesting differences between groups were between organic and non-organic pain patients where the latter reported more sleep-related activities. These were related to strong beliefs to disease conviction, intense pain and intense sadness. Both non-patient pain groups reported more passive activities indicating a greater awareness of the importance of rest. A comparison of qualitative and quantitative pain measures suggests that the MPQ [McGill Pain Questionnaire] may not be sufficient alone to measure the painful experience. The results have implications for the study and management of chronic pain patients, and provide evidence that reports of activity per se may be diagnostic indicators valuable in the study of illness behavior.